A New Haven in New New York
by Feenixfire90
Summary: Vault 121 in New Haven, Tri-state area has been sealed for 210 years after the nuclear fallout, the inhabitants inside in suspended animation, coma inducing machines and no one to staff it. Until the day a vault dweller Paladin of the Brotherhood of Steel shows up to investigate it... Rated M for adult themes, possible smut further in or implied, violence and possible gore.
1. Chapter 1, Vault Discovery

Author's note: Author's note: Again another roleplay turned into a fanfiction, this time it's a roleplay between me and my tumblr buddy Gearchange (a name you might recognize if you read my OC Transformers fics). This is the same universe and time frame of The Mysterious Stranger which is my Fallout New Vegas story.

I own nothing Fallout related, I only own Rachel Phoenix and Gearchange owns Flynn Ryder.

* * *

As the events of fallout 4 take place, lower down, in the Tri-state area and in the city of New Haven. There was another vault that was similar to the Sanctuary Hills one, Vault 121, which was located under the remains of the Yale – New Haven Hospital and was a vault for the medical profession and the patients of the hospital.

Inside it was empty, no one was living there. No one was walking about, there was no society left down there. But why? Why was it so silent?

Breaking the silence of the Vault, a loud buzzer sounded as the heavy vault door began to release its seal'n'safe pressure valves, a mechanical arm meeting the door and pulling it out from its cog shaped resting place and moving it aside. Filling the entrance with artificial light from the rigging outside the vault.

A lone figure's shadowy silhouette stepped forwards to be greeted by a gangway which rolled out for him, making it safe for them to move across. The figure's footsteps were loud and his whole body was whirring and clunking, a flashlight turned on and two orange eyes glowed from its head.

The metal man walked forwards entering the entrance area, looking for the security post's terminal where he could find out more about the vault.

From his point of view, it seemed quite a clean vault, no disaster could be seen to have occurred and everything seemed normal. Even the power was still alright, but on low voltage since the sleeping pods were taking up most of the energy.

Nearby was a terminal that had the underscore bar on the screen flashing.

The eyes suddenly turned off and the flashlight too, the figure stopped in his tracks, suddenly it began to split open, and a figure stepping out of the suit. He pressed down on the suit's back, retrieving a fusion core. He was wearing a red Nuka Cola jacket with the numbers 79 on the back and had a small firearm strapped onto the inside as he unzipped the jacket.

He walked up to the terminal and began to investigate it. The terminal gave information on the vault itself. The vault was an experiment on sleeping pods or in comatosing people through a nuclear fallout.

The information on the residents of New Haven said that 60% of them had signed up for the vaults and that included workers... but... there was a troublesome log that was the last entry of the vault.

The man looked to the last entry on the terminal, trying to access it.

 **"To whomever finds this... I am vault tech manager of vault 121. Our experiment was to see how the human body would cope under comatosed conditions with new sleep pod technology we had been developing.**

 **But... we can't wake anyone up! We have tried everything! They're alive and breathing, they are showing full brain activity, but they aren't waking up. We don't know what to do, we have ran out of food in the vault besides the solution we pump into the test subjects and some of us have already died.**

 **This might be the last entry from this vault till someone discovers on how to wake them up, or if by some miracle one of them or all of them wake up by themselves."**

The man stood up and returned to his power armor, injecting the core and stepping back into his protective shell. He looked around for the signs which usually pointed dwellers to where facilities were, since this was the upper floor there must have been a way to the lower levels, a switch to a lift.

There were signs to show people there medical room and housing were, as well as lifts. The pods were located in the housing man got into the lift, activating it to send him to a floor, where hopefully he could find something of importance.

He would arrive on the first floor below vault, the rooms of the man checked his surroundings, looking to the quarters of each. Each of the quarters was modest with a pod and person in each, but the machine part to wake them up had malfunctioned fully.

Except one of them…

The man entered the room, inspecting the pod the person was in. In the Pod was a middle aged woman who was in a military nurse/medic uniform with chestnut brown hair and rosy skin. She was thin but muscled and looked like she had either served in the army or was drafted in late towards the end of the war.

Once he had rubbed away some of the dust from the lid of the pod he could see the woman inside, he looked for a terminal or some way to operate the pod and rescue this remaining inhabitant.

The pod's internal mechanism hadn't fried its own waking up components so with some reconnections, it would take just connecting up a pip boy to activate it. The man opened up a cuff on his left arm, pulling out a white cord which was connected to his pip-boy 3000 Mk4, inserting it into the terminal connected to the pod, finding a way to activate the pod.

With some hacking and repairs, the pod would open and the life activating systems would kick in. The man in the power armor stood back, looking to the woman in the pod. It must have been a bit of a shock to see him, despite wearing a piece of military equipment.

The woman woke up slowly and tried to move, she pats around her arm and removes the butterfly capillary that provided nutrition. She looks around and sees the man and doesn't register it.

"Take it easy... You've been in stasis for 200 years," his voice came through as if it was through a communicator.

"200... years? 200 years!?" She bolts up and then eeks at the pain in her body.

"Two...hundred and ten..." The man removed his power armor helmet, putting it down on the table, beside him, "sorry to scare you like this, I didn't think I'd find anyone still alive in this Vault."

Her vision clears and she looks at the man, identifying his features. "Oh my God. Where is everyone? What do you mean by alive?"

"Well... I don't know if anyone made it out of your Vault... but most of the inhabitants from these pods can't be rescued.

I know you have a lot of questions, I don't have all the answers, but the world you knew 200 years ago isn't what it is now."

"No... no no no! Are you sure we can't save them? And why? What happened after the bombs dropped?" She slowly got up again and blinks.

"Life support failed on most of the units, these things... we're not built to last so long. Your vault was part of an experiment, kind of like a stasis test.

200 years ago the bombs hit the East Coast hard. New York has changed a lot but humanity... what's left of it from those who descended from survivors or Vault dwellers have tried to make a living."

"Humanity still exists? Thank God. Experiment? We were promised a living in the vaults! Oh God... everyone I know, gone..." She looks upset at this as her mind tried to piece stuff together.

"I know it must be a lot to take in, you probably should see it for yourself."

"How can I trust you?" She raises an eyebrow, on closer look she had a scar over her eye.

"Come to the surface and see for yourself. It ain't safe out there though so you should equip yourself."

"Alright." She holds out her hand for him to help her up.

The man grabbed her hand with his still encased by the power armor, "so what's your name?"

"Rachel Phoenix," she slowly gets up with his help, her legs shaking from being used.

"Nice to meet you Phoenix, you can call me Flynn," Flynn helps her onto her feet, "just take it easy alright."

"Flynn? Nice to meet you."

Her legs readjust and after a while, she could walk about. She lets him lead her up and out of the vault.


	2. Chapter 2, Raiders Raiders Everywhere

Flynn had found some vault tec security armor pieces for Phoenix's vault suit and had given her a handgun to defend herself. He had his power armor helmet on again and was setting this vault as a place of interest.

"We turned this place over pretty well, surprised this vault is in such a good condition."

The man paused as he could hear something up ahead, there was a group of raiders looking over the open entrance, "shit... I should have closed that."

"We? Who's we?"

She pauses too, adjusting her armour a bit on her due her small size. She heard the raiders and loaded the pistol, "are those the we or are they a threat?"

"Nope... those are unwelcome guests... Raiders, trying to see if they can make this place their home."

"I take it they are unfriendly and will trash the place hm?" She aims the gun at the door that cut off the pair from the raiders.

"Yep," Flynn pulled out what appeared to be a laser rifle from the gun rack on his back, "wanna fuck them up?"

"Gladly!" She smiles, she was no stranger to fighting for some reason.

"Just stick behind me, this tin can can take a serious beating"

The man began to move out, the raiders quickly looking to the man in power armor

"Oh shit it's a Paladin!" Exclaimed one of the lackies

"Knock it off... it's just a dead man in a fancy suit of armor," said another.

Rachel looks at the raiders then at Flynn then aims her gun at the closest one to her and fires, showing professional aiming and firing. One of the raiders drops dead immediately, the leader who was wearing a long trenchcoat looked down to him and laughed.

"Oh this is funny... real funny... A Tin man and a vaulty fresh out of their home. You would both sell for a lot... but I think I'll just kill you both and take the Vault for my own."

"Yeah have fun doing that whilst we pump you with lead and laser fire."

The other raiders aimed their guns at them, there was about five men, including the leader.

"Who you calling fresh? You guys look like you haven't showered in years. But lets see whos laughing by the end of the day," she says as she fires at once at a few goons on the left.

The raiders began to fire back, taking refuge behind some storage cases. Flynn fired a few laser rounds towards them, taking most of the fire. A raider fell to the floor dead from Phoenix's shot and another fired a few shots back with his shoddy makeshift gun.

She hide behind the power armour as the shots were fired, before moving to behind a crate nearby when they were reloading. She then leans over and fires at the one with the poorly made gun. The raiders were dropping like flies until there came a loud battle cry, the leader had jabbed something into his arm.

"Get down, he's just taken Psycho," Flynn warned.

The raider leader dragged a minigun out from the cover and began to warm it up, the rotary chamber spinning up. Suddenly bullets began to spray out towards Flynn, his power armor sponging the damage, however it was clear he struggling, or biding his time until he could get a clear shot. Meanwhile there was one raider left who was proving a little more difficult to kill.

"Psycho!? What the fuck is that!? Shit!"

She keeps down and tries to think, she then blindly fires at the raider and sees Flynn had a fragmentation grenade and pickpockets it, she then pulls the hoop out and throws it towards the mini gun psychopath.

The other raider falls dead. The frag grenade causes the leader to stop firing, backing away as he was blinded by the bang, stumbling a little. Flynn saw his chance and straightened up, his power armor whining as it helped him up, he pointed his laser rifle with one hand, the leader starts firing again but before he could have a chance to, Flynn delivered a high powered laser blast to the raider's chest, causing him to disintegrate into nothing but a pile of clothes and hot ash.

Rachel looks over the crate slowly and sees the pile of clothes and ash, she whistles and says, "laser rifle. Impressive."

Flynn ejected out from his power armor and went to go inspect the ashes of the leader, "yeah, but the real hero was my Pip-boy, Automated targeting systems and a bit of patience."

He began to search through the remains, pulling the coat out from the ashes and shaking it down, pulling out another Psycho pack, showing it to her.

"This stuff is a chemical compound which improves your physical form in battle, makes you want to take on the world, it's a horrible addictive substance..."

He throws the coat to Phoenix and gestured to the other bodies, "see what you can find and take what you need."

He turned back round, showing a number 79 on his back, much like the vault suit Phoenix was wearing.

"They still have pip-boys?" She questions, she then continues, "it seems things have changed but at the same time it hasn't. So it's a drug then? Even in a nuclear fallout the drug trade is still strong, typical."

She catches the coat and nods, she sees the 79 on his vault suit, seeing he is or was a fellow vault dweller, "thanks by the way."

She searches the bodies and finds a shotgun, smiling as she checked its aim. She then picks up some boots and a captains hat, don't ask why, "you are a vaulter too?"

"Oh yeah I am, hence the pip-boy and the 79 on the back of my brown case over there, looks like a pip-boy case, give it a look over."

He begins to round up the ammunition and supplies he had found, adding them to the ones he had taken from the Vault already.

"Its at the Empire State Building, underneath it. I'm a... third generation dweller so they claim."

She looks over to what he had pointed out, the brown case with the pip boy logo on it, she walks over to it and unlocks it, seeing a pip boy too.

"Third generation? So other vaults did survive and populate, that's brilliant to hear. Why so they claim?"

"Its just how they recorded the population in my vault, my grandparents were the first, my parents second... I'm the third. You should come with me, You'd be a lot safer in the 79 Trade District. We even Turned Times Square into fertile ground"

He looks over to her and the newly opened pip boy, "mark Four, fancy piece of kit. That's what happens when people invested in Vault Tec 200 years ago."

"Oh I see. That makes sense, it's just good to see now everyone is gonna be insane. Is there any jobs I could do there?"

She picks it up and puts it on her arm, smiling as she had missed a good pipboy, "fancier than the one I used to have before the vault."

"Well... it depends on what skills you have, what makes you uh... Special?"

She chuckles at this, remembering the films the army nurses were shown before they were drafted, "I am a pharmacist and nurse, the latter was because I got drafted into the army not long before the bombs dropped."

"A medic? You wouldn't believe how sought after they are in the wastelands these I guess because of your service in the army you were given priority to the vault huh," Flynn enters his power armor again, turning to her.

"Really? Guess I am in luck then. And yes I was, my family died years ago too so I didn't have other people to enter into the vault either. I never used the power suits mind you but I knew people who did."

She looks at him, there was a slight british accent in her voice. She smiles warmly as she reloads her gun and checks the pip boy worked. Flynn nods and then tell her about his Vault.

"The people who inhabited my Vault, worked in the stock markets... investors from big name companies. Nuka Cola, Hubris Comics, Super Super Mart, Robco and Vault Tec.

There were three areas, one for Nuka Cola, one for Robco and one for Hubris, each one had their workers too, Robco kept the robots running, Nuka Cola kept us going with their drink and Hubris Comics continued to publish their comics.

Now this is where the fun begins... 79 was an experiment, to see how the economy could continue within the vault. Through a stock market.

The higher you invested, the better you lived. If you were a CEO or a huge investor you'd be on the Overseer's meeting, deciding how things would be run.

210 years of that and when we finally decided to open up, we took up the Empire State Building, reinhabited it and began trading, I became a mechanic and became a real whizz in robotics. But my real magnum opus is finding parts for this Power Armor and restoring it.

When these guys named the brotherhood came to New York, they were mighty impressed."

"I think I heard about that vault, it was on the news because people were mad about fat cats getting it if you know what I mean. And I don't mean any offence by it. These days, status means nothing unless its practical.

You're a mechanic, I could tell. I knew it at once, your hands say it. And it's one hell of an armour, you should be proud. The brotherhood?" She brushes herself down and starts heading to the exit after picking up stuff.

"The Brotherhood are descendants from pre-war soldiers, who believe technology shouldn't be in the hands of those who seek to misuse it. People here call me a Paladin, it's a rank in the Brotherhood's ranks, but really I'm a guy wanting to keep his people safe and carve a name for myself in the wastes."

As they leave, Flynn points to the yellow console.

"Put the adapter in and close this Vault Door."

"I should fit right in then as a nurse. Okay."

She plugs the adapter in and closes the door behind them, but not before giving it a glance of goodbye.

"We can always come back, we didn't get to see much of it."

"Alright, maybe see if the others can get out if we can find the tech to repair the pods," She sounded hopeful at least as the platform headed up with the pair on it.


	3. Chapter 3, Up on the Surface World

When the platform had reached the surface, Rachel was forced to close her eyes as the glare of the sun hit her, when she opened them she gazed on her hometown. Flynn moved forwards, they were in the remains of an old build site in Brooklyn. He looked round and breathed in the filtered air through his power armor, he was looking out East to Brooklyn and to the North East was manhatten, with most of the tall buildings still standing. The international airport could be seen, no planes were flying however.

"Should have told you... sun can be pretty intense when you've lived in the vault. You'll adjust, give it a few minutes."

"That's okay, it's easy to forget when you're use to it," she sees clearly after her eyesight readjusted and looks shocked at what 200 years had done to her hometown. But she wasn't at the same time, "how much radiation is out here?"

"Radiation has dropped to near harmful levels, however there are a few pockets of radiation in a few blast zones, however the geiger counter should display the rads in the location around you and the radiation in your body.

We have Radaway and Rad-X Two drugs which can help reduce and remove the effects of radiation sickness and the healthy glow that comes with it.

My Power Armor has excellent shielding against radiation, but it doesn't stop all of it, an equivalent would be a hazmat suit."

"I guess 200 years does good for settling down the radiation and yeah I can see it on the pip boy. Radaway and rad x? I must study those sometime. Ah the good old hazmat suit. Only more metal," she teases as she steps off the platform and down the hill.

Flynn follows after her, drawing his laser rifle and holding it in both hands pointing it to the floor as he strode up beside her, "first Aid cabinets are the best places to check for them, or chem coolers."

"You mean after 200 years looting still goes on? You haven't ran out of stuff to loot?" She says as they walk into the town and down the high street.

"Stuff gets taken, stuff gets moved. People leave things behind, You'd be surprised though on what you can find out here."

They were walking through a commercial area, shops with houses on the second floor, windows boarded up or smashed in and cars left in the streets to rust.

"Fair enough then."

She looked sadly at once familiar streets and frowns.

"I just remember the sirens, the sirens blaring. I was in the hospital nurses accommodation at the time, it was early morning. We had been warned first so we could move vault registered patients in the vault wards."

"Some vaults did let people in before the bombs fell. Some people from Vault 79 descended from the few that were let in due to empty spaces."

"Yeah we did too. We let in families even if we didn't have beds, our overseer had a family of her own, I knew her well and she was the sister of the ward. Knowing now it was an experiment... I don't know if she was honest about it or if she didn't know until it happened."

She frowns even more as they walk past broken and wrecked cars and shops, this hurt her as she remembered this city so well before the bombs fell, "makes me sad that we left them behind."

"Until we can find or reproduce parts, those inside the pods are in a... well stasis. We can return to the Vault whenever you want to.

Right now, you should get accustomed to living in the wastelands and what is now New New York.  
The radioactive apple and home to a thriving economy, so long as you don't go to the outskirts and the three mile island."

"At least they are safe though, I know. I know. It's just taking a while to adjust out here.

And I see the joke you did there. New new york, typical. Outskirts and the island have more raiders right? Or worse?"

They both walk out of the town and start heading towards New New York, countryside now dominating the scenery.

"Raiders are everywhere, manhattan and times square are two of the safest points besides the Brotherhood's outpost at the airport.

It's not just raiders that lurk around here, mutated creatures. Giant cockroaches, Dangerous crabs and even the dreaded Deathclaw."

"So everything is nicely kept together, good to hear. Mutated creatures? As in they were mutated by the nuclear fallout? Remind me never to meet them," she says as they headed on the highway that led to New York.

The walk to New York took a quite a while on foot, it was midday by the time they saw what remained of New York in the far distance. Thankfully they hadn't encountered any threats while on the highway, which was good considering their surroundings, maybe they got lucky.

They were about to reach the Brooklyn Bridge which looked over to the main island of Manhattan New York, when suddenly a radio frequency began to pick up on their Pip-Boys. It was the radio music station of the stronghold Flynn was taking her to, much like Boston's Diamond City radio. The music that was playing right now was Frank Sinatra's New York, New York.

When Rachel heard the song, she gave a very soft smile and a soft chuckle. Sure the surroundings did look dismal but you have to make the most of it. She looks up river to where the bomb had been dropped up river.

"Most of the radiation is concentrated there, it's best to avoid the crater. Most of the irradiated creatures are there."

They were now walking along an old iron bridge, the brooklyn bridge, cars and trucks were below. It was creaking but it was steady. He pointed out to the skyline, "there's still wildlife, I've seen birds fly around... gulls or crows, survivors, like us."

"And they said wildlife would disappear as well when I watched those corny films to prepare us," she watches a gull flying above as she follows Flynn.

"Nature always finds a way to survive, adapting or evolving," Flynn readied his laser rifle as they neared the end of the bridge.

"Its risky travelling overground in New York, but the Metro System is mostly intact, walking through the subway would get us to Manhattan and the Vault 79 Trade District which spans from lower manhattan past Times Square. One of the biggest settlements in New York."

She readies her gun when he does and nods, "alright then, lead on."

When the got to the end of the bridge there was an old set of escalators which led down to the Metro marked with a giant M, Flynn pulled apart a metal collapsing gates and turned on his helmet's flashlight, walking past an old eat'o'tronic dispenser mounted on a wall, with its shutter closed, beside it was a Nuka Cola machine, its sign flashing and fizzing a little.

"Let me guess, anything that did survive the nukes, like nuka cola and twinkies are not edible right? Or were they ever edible to begin with?" She jokes a bit as she walks past the food machines, keeping close and ready.

"Food Products were made to last, these things are still edible, fancy lad snack cakes, pork 'n' beans or the blamco mac and cheese. So long as you don't mind the small doses of radiation it gives."

Flynn gently thumps the nuka cola machine and two bottles popped out from its dispensary

"Whilst Nuka Cola may be a refreshing drink, its secret ingredient was an isotope not as strong as the legendary Quantum soda. As long as you drink this in moderation. You won't get addicted like the Nuka Junkies and won't suffer the radiation poisoning that comes from mass consumption."

He offers her a bottle, "careful with the bottlecap, they're not just for collecting."

"Radiation in moderation my drill sergeant said, what an arsehole he was."

Another clue to her heritage was the fact she said arse instead of ass and said it in a more natural accent. She takes the bottle with a nod of thanks and opens it using the edge of a nearby counter, she then sips the drink and smiles at its coldness.

"You kidding me? They put an isotope in this? This sucker is nuclear? No wonder pharmacies were full of addicts coming for their whining off drug," she then looks at the cap, "what do you mean?"

"So they claim, it's not just the several fruit juices and malt they used to make it that gives it the kick. It's what kept Nuka Cola in pocket and what made them so popular to other branded drinks."

Flynn shoved his bottle into a satchel on his power armor

"America today doesn't go by using the green stuff anymore, pre-war money is only used in certain pockets of civilisation, nowadays those nuka cola bottlecaps are used as currency, caps for short.

My Vault transitioned from using the dollar bill to caps, but there's still a demand for it.

Caps are used in bartering or trading, you have something someone wants and they have something you want then you can use caps and items to get a deal. Its how weapons, food and water are traded these days."

"Lovely to know that now. Ah well, one won't hurt," she has another drink and then hands him the cap.

"Caps? How interesting, so money no longer has a true value, how strange. It works on an old trade system, like Vikings and how they traded pelts and fish for items."

She seemed not too shocked or horrified by this, any of this. Guess it made it easier for Flynn when it came to explaining. If anything she was curious.

"These aren't the dark times however, everything is built to last, power, weapons and buildings... mostly."

"I like that mostly, sounds reassuring. I wasn't saying it was, I was simply comparing it to markets of old," she finishes the bottle and puts the bottle on her belt as a makeshift glass weapon.

There came a groaning noise from the distance, a tin can being kicked and echoing through the tunnel to the subway station. She looks around at the noise and draws her gun, pointing it at the can and then the space above the can.

Suddenly there was a loud husky growl, a ghoul came charging at them, from the darkness. Rachel eeks in surprise and fires two rounds into the ghoul's chest. The ghoul stumbles a little, Flynn fires a round into the ghoul and kills it.

"Ghouls... once humans who were affected by the radiation, turned them into walking zombies. Some still have their minds... but these ones are ferals, ghouls who have gone insane and no longer have control"

"Oh God that's awful. Did they stay outside for too long or eat too much radiated food?" She walks over to the dead ghoul and searches it, examining it at the same time.

There were 5 bottlecaps on the ghoul, Flynn sighed and answered, "they were the ones to get hit by the radiation from the blast, prolonged to a single radiation source can turn you."

She takes the bottlecaps and pockets them, she then looks at Flynn and blinks, "these creatures have been roaming for 200 years? In this state? In pain!?"

"Maybe, no one can really tell."

This actually upset her a bit at this thought, as a nurse she hated seeing people suffer and these ghouls were beyond any help.

"Let's move on."


	4. Chapter 4, The Metro System

Author's note: Thank you for over a 100 views on this story alone! Its the first time any of my stories here has reached 100 views and both me and my roleplay partner for this fanfic is very pleased with how well this story is doing!

Flynn continued leading Phoenix into the station itself, underground. A slight breeze could be felt. He began making his way down the escalators, looking to the station names and which line to take.

"It's so strange seeing this now, I have never seen it so quiet or empty in my life. I used to take the train to the college and university every other day and I remember how busy it was."

She arrives down at the train platform and looks around as her mind fills in the surroundings with memories of the past, "sorry if I seem like I am rambling."

"I know it's hard to believe that this was once a place where millions worked and relaxed in this one huge grid of a city. I just wonder if one day they'll run again, like the Vertibirds the Brotherhood of Steel use to get across the USA."

"I guess you know about it cause of your grandparents telling you? And I hope so. Vertibirds, they sound familiar?"

"I've also read the books which survived the war and any terminal data which is still intact. Vertibirds are personnel transport, probably the only aircraft still working today."

"Wow. I am surprised how much survived. It isn't the old videos they showed in schools to scare the kids that's for sure."

She hears the radio change music and smiles, it was still Frank Sinatra but this time it was Come Fly With Me, kinda ironic when they were just talking about Vertibirds.

Flynn notices this smile at the music and comments, "yeah, that radio frequency you're hearing is one of our own, a whole library of music and holo-tapes can keep people entertained and sane whilst they're here in New York. Always keep myself tuned in whilst I'm working."

After double checking down the tunnel either side, not that a train was going to suddenly pull into the station anyway, he turns to the right and into the subway tunnel. He heads on to a walkway above and to the side of the rail tracks.

"Music is always good to wind down with, I can't believe a lot of the music is still around," she follows him down the subway tunnel and on the walkway.

The two would walk along the maintenance walkway, illuminated occasionally by the occasional light

"We had music in the vault, but most of this music was recovered from elsewhere."

"Like other vaults?" She wondered how many vaults had survived the fallout.

"Uh... well it depends, not every vault is the same. We had a radio station because of how big it was and because of the passive experiment which was happening within. It took me a while to locate your vault. Apparently there's a vault tec regional headquarters here in New York."

"Ah I see. Any luck finding it?"

"I'm not allowed to see confidential vault records, but the overseer did tell me it was in the city."

The pair would enter into another subway station, already voices could be heard, "I told you, two hundred caps for the package or else I'm not taking it, I'm not risking my ass in these tunnels!"

"Who's that?" She whispers to him, becoming more alert now.

"No idea... probably a courier wanting out of a deal," Flynn whispers back.

"200? for a simple delivery. I'm not asking much here and yet you're wanting to pussy out of this job? Fine I'll ask someone else. "

The courier walked off, back out of the subway. The man with the package noticed the two in the tunnels. Rachel said nothing as she assumed it was a threat or Flynn's area of expertise.

Flynn stepped forwards then man still looking to him, "going to the Trade District?"

"Yeah, where do you want this delivered?"

"*Garret's Gun store*"

"Sure, I know the guy, I'll do it for 175."

"Fine, just make sure it gets to Garret. "

The man gives him a box and walks off, Flynn turns round and gives the box to Rachel, "hold this for me alright?"

"Sure thing!" She says cheerfully, glad the trader wasn't a raider. She takes it off him and carries it under her arm.

"Often people use subways as trading grounds, unless they're in raider territories, then people that pass by are usually going to get jumped. Let's keep moving, we should be there soon."

"Why though?" She says as they continue down the tunnel.

"Because its much quicker to get from A to B, some places you can't get to on foot and the metro can get you there in no time."

"Ah I can see how that makes sense now."

The pair of them journeyed along the tunnel for a while, not encountering anything other than rats and mice. Anything bigger was often shot at by the pair, they worked together quite well.

Eventually they split off the main subway tunnel and down a service tunnel, which was the tunnel to under the empire state building and vault 79. They were both greeted by the giant ultra reinforced doors of the vault.

"This should lead us directly to the vault entrance itself, a lift usually takes you down from the surface."

Flynn steps forwards, finding the intercom panel on the side of the door. He presses the button to contact the security. There was a beep and then a voice, "this is Vault 79 Exterior security, identify yourself."

"Flynn Ryder and a visitor, her name is -"

"Rachel, Rachel Phoenix of Vault 121," she says, identifying herself.

"Another Vault Dweller, can you confirm this Flynn?" Security answered back, the tone of his voice sounded skeptical.

"121 over by Brooklyn's outer suburbs, It's still active, but few survivors. All in stasis but her." Flynn replied back, reassuring the voice on the other end.

"The CEO and Overseer will want to see this, alright I'm letting you in, he's in his office on the surface," there came a buzzer, "stand back."

Suddenly the door split in two and slowly opened up, revealing a Security Guard outside of the Vault 79 Door. Rachel stood back as the doors opened. She sees the guard and nods in thanks, "thank you sir."

The man nodded and welcomed them in, "enjoy your stay at Vault 79's trade district, there's a platform elevator which leads to the main lobby, you can take another lift to get to the CEO's office."

"So, where do you wanna go Phoenix?"

"Well maybe seeing the CEO would be the best option first. So I can see if my skills can be of use," she nods as she thinks about it.

"Alright, we'll take the elevator up to the lobby then."


	5. Chapter 5, The CEO of Vault 79

Flynn made his way to a small railed platform, above them was a rectangular hatch.

"What's the CEO like?" She follows him to the platform and watches around her.

Flynn pressed the button to activate the lift, suddenly it began to rise up.

"He's alright, He's put a lot of time into getting Vault 79 to where it is today in New York."

As the lift rose up, the hatch began to split apart above them, revealing a small area upstairs with two lift doors on either side, when the lift got to the top, the two doors pinged and opened up, revealing the lobby floor of the Empire State Building, a few people were milling around, some trading, others sitting down or talking to members at a large reception desk.

It was easy to tell the wastelanders from the citizens and those who came from the vault or worked there.

"A decent guy then? That's a rarity. Sorry, army men have always been rough and brutish."

She sees this and was amazed at how organised everything was for a post apocalyptic world. People looked to them as they walked through, Flynn's armor still sounding heavy and clunky

"Overseer wasn't army however, but he's clever and knows how to get down to business."

He called a lift down for them and got in, squeezing into the back and turning round, "going up?"

"Ah so he's an actual business man. At least that can be reasoned with," she squeezes in too and someone in the lift presses the button.

"Sure thing! Hey Flynn, who's the newbie?" The lady who had pressed the button was a teeanger who knew Flynn by family. She was a small girl, just shorter than Rachel herself, with grey eyes and black wavy hair, a young and fresh face and a blue checkered dress.

"A Vault Dweller and new friend I found on my exploration out past Brooklyn, did anything happen whilst I was out?"

"Not really, my mum managed to get that scanner working that the Brotherhood traded us. So we can scan for mutations in residents now."

Rachel listened curiously to the pair, she saw that they were friends already and also noticed that the girl was talking about medical equipment, that meant there was a medical area somewhere.

"That's great news, along with getting some more radiation scanners like the ones in the vault and its medical bay we can treat any radiation problems. Rachel here is a medic so she could be working with the medical staff here."

The teenager looked at Rachel and smiles, Rachel herself smiles back and says, "hello there!"

"Hey I'm Ellie! Good to see another medic around! Thanks Finnie! You helped with the repairs too so we should thank you too."

There was a loud ding! Indicating Ellie's floor had been reached.

"Just doing my job, I'll see you next time."

"This is my floor guys, see ya Fin! See ya Rachel!"

"Bye Ellie!" They both say,the young girl walks out of the lift and it continues up to the CEO.

"Good to see the medical facilities here sound pretty good."

"The Vault provides a medical bay, however a section of the empire state serves as a clinic too as well as a place out in Manhattan run by a separate doctor.

Besides the trading levels, the offices and the CEO's office on the top floor, this place is set up into different residence, the more you work or invest the higher you live, its not all bad, its mainly for investors though. My pad is down in the city."

"Interesting system, is it a decent place?" She asks as the elevator goes up to the CEO.

"Yeah, it also counts as a hotel, kinda," the lift pings as they get to the top floor where the head offices were, "CEO's just down this corridor."

"Kinda? Alright. Wish me luck," she leaves the lift and walks down the corridor to the office.

Flynn waited outside the office, unmoving. Outside the CEO's office was a desk with a secretary wearing a pre-war suit.

"Are you here to see the CEO?" The secretary said, without even looking over her newspaper.

"Yes ma'am, I'm the new vault dweller Flynn phoned up about, "Rachel says with a warm smile.

The secretary lady looked over the newspaper at Rachel and nods, "Oh, the security guards mentioned a new face would come see the CEO. He's free right now, please go in. He's eager to meet you."

"Thank you ma'am," she nods and heads into the office, knocking first, "hello?"

There was a man standing by a window overlooking the city below them, some skyscrapers seemed worse for wear, in the distance one was leaning against another, some missing parts. What could be seen though was Times Square, the CEO was still wearing his vault suit with the numbers 79 on the back.

"So... you're the new face around town, so the guards say."

"Yes sir, I'm Rachel, Rachel Phoenix of vault 121 sir," she steps in cautiously, but confidentially. Standing up straight and showing a military stance.

"Another Vault eh? What can you tell me about it?"

"We were located north east from here in New Haven, it was a vault for hospital staff, patients and their families. I has one of the pharmacists that worked both in the hospital and the vault... 200 years or so ago so Flynn tells me."

She shows him her necklace which shows the classic bowl of hygeia and Rodof Aesculapius on a pair of dog tags, both symbols of pharmacists and doctors/nurses.

"So you're ex-military, from 200 years ago... how did you survive 200 years inside that vault? Is it still operating?"

"Well things were alright as a fallout can be until they started an experiment. We had been sleeping in pods ever since we arrived but we thought nothing of it as anything other than radiation protection.

It wasn't, they induced everyone into a coma like sleep and kept us connected to systems to keep us alive. Thats the last thing I remember.

It isn't operating like yours, all the staff that weren't induced into a coma have died. The pods for reason are glitching badly or don't work when it comes to reversing the coma."

"Some vaults were designed for experiments, as you may have gathered. If you can find out more about this... suspended animation experiment from your vault then perhaps any survivors can be rescued and reintegrated.

It must be a bit of a shock, waking up to find yourself 200 years in the future, I hope you're adjusting well to this environment," he said this with genuine concern, a business man with a heart, that's new.

"Yeah Flynn told be about some of the other vaults and what they did, including yours. It would take a scientist, not a medic to do that but we can try.

It has been, Flynn made sure to explain what he could to me on the way here. It's more optimistic compared to the crappy videos they showed me as a kid that warned of nothing will survive," she scoffed at her own joke, also the fact those same videos told kids to duck under their desk was crap too, it would have done nothing to protect them,

"Whilst Vault Tec may not have been the best solution to surviving a nuclear fallout, they did provide us with material on how to survive.

Times Square, once a barren and hostile environment, was rejuvenated with the Garden of Eden Creation Kit, the GECK, now it's a Hub for trading, growing crops and provides for the wasteland.

I'm going to assign you to Flynn so you can learn more about the wastelands through him and begin efforts with Vault 121.

When you feel ready, you should locate the Vault-Tec Offices, located near Wall Street and the Drumpf Tower, or what remains of it.

I would also recommend revisiting Vault 121 and gaining access to the Overseer's office and turn over any files you can.

Vault-Tec built that vault, lets hope they kept records and technical files handy.

Any more questions?"

Rachel thought for a second and then said, "true, but god knows what other experiments they have got away with. Sorry but as a medic I can't watch people suffer.

Sir yes sir! And yes I do have a question, is a medic or pharmacist or both needed in this area?" She nods her head to show she understood.

"Medics are always welcome, so long as you get approval from the chief medical officer. Wasteland cures and pre-war medicines and chems can only be distributed legally if you have a permit."

"Yes sir, I have an old permit from 200 years ago," she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a laminated card. It had her name and her pharmacy association number.

"200 year old permit, expires 2085, hah... I don't think the offices even exist to give you a new one. Sure, you need to speak to the Chief Medical Officer then, but for now you should go explore the city."

She chuckles at this, realising what she did was silly but it was what she knew, "alright! Thank you sir! Have a good day!"

She then walks out of the office, smiling at the fact she made a good impression.


	6. Chapter 6, Flynn's Apartment

As Rachel walked out of the CEO's office, Flynn was waiting outside, still in his power armor. He looks up and says with a smile, "so, what did he say?"

"He said I was welcome to stay here and apply to become a medic, so I need to see the chief medical officer when I settle in. I've also been assigned with you so you can help me adjust and teach me about this world and I need to locate the vault tech offices when I am ready."

She says with a big smile, she did seem rather cute with her big smile and small height. Almost like a cute bunny or lamb… before they became mutated of course.

"Huh, the vault tec offices, did the overseer say exactly where they were?"

"Yeah he said it was between old Wall Street and Trump Towers, or their remains at least."

"Oh right... where 79 all began, I know where that is," he began making his way to the lift, "so I guess we should head back to mine and then begin on getting you accustomed to wasteland life, since I'm the one teaching you."

"So that's Vault 79 then. And okay, sounds good to me until I'm able to fit in fully," she follows him into the lift and presses the ground floor button.

The lift began to go down to the lobby

"Vault 79's experiment was to preserve an economy and by providing the investors and dwellers with Nuka Cola, Entertainment and maintained robotics, from the three leading brands.

Wall Street was where these companies bought and sold shares, stock if you will. They all invested in Vault Tec's project safehouse operation. The investors put a lot of money into this operation...

"Some more than others, many families entering the vaults had sold all their shares, these were the greedy ones, thinking that by putting all their money in they would get more out of it.

Boy were they wrong, they got put in the regular residential accommodation, whilst those who had still kept stock or inherited it, got to live in better accommodation, the more investment in the Vault's stock exchange, the better you lived.

It was a huge gamble each day, people moved around and so did the green stuff.

If we're going to find out more about your own vault, we need to head to Wall Street's Vault Tec Offices."

She considers this information and then asks, "so that's how the system worked? If you were greedy and sold, you weren't given the facilities you were expecting. While if you showed brand or company loyalty by keeping the shares, you were handsomely rewarded. Sounds like an interesting gamble or hustle.

So they would have all the information in the regional vaults?"

"Well in the Regional Headquarters, it's worth a shot investigating these offices in Wall Street anyway."

"How true, how very very true."

The lift dings as it arrived on the bottom floor, or the lobby so to say, "let's head on over to my place."

"Sure thing. So was your family one of the ones that held the stocks?"

She walks out, her head zipping about as she looked all round at the lobby and all the interesting people in it.

"Not really, so they say, the family who moved into the vault were engineers for Robco and General Atomics, although they had shares they didn't really have much, but were drafted in to work in the Vault. All Ryders were mechanics or engineers, the chief mechanic of works with my dad, got himself a neat job up here whilst I go on my own way with what I've learned."

Flynn was making his way to a set of large glass doors, opening them out to the streets of New New York. There were people walking around, some leading brahmin caravans, others wheeling stock around. A Mr Handy was dispensing newspapers on the streets whilst the owner was interviewing people

"This is where people come to trade if they're coming from the south, they move through here up North to Times Square."

"Flynn Ryder? That's your full name? Interesting name, the last name sounds familiar. Ah I see, still better than nada."

When he opened the glass doors, her jaw dropped at the outdoor market trading, oh and the two headed cow, let's not forget the crazy sight of a two headed cow. And she smiles at the Mr. Handy as she remembers the medical ones that served with her.

"Wow. Is that really a two headed cow? Like, seriously, a cow with two heads."

"Brahmin, like I said some animals were affected by the radiation and fallout, altering them, some significantly more than others."

The Mr Handy was calling out in the background to passers by, New New York Times! Today's paper just ten caps! Some people would put in ten caps as they walk past, the robot using his grabber attachment to pass them a neatly folded newspaper

"News travels fast thanks to the press, they took over the old printing press a few blocks from here, producing their own newspapers."

"More than others... it's got a second head that's moving about, blinking and eating! Thats weird to me."

She watches the Mr. Handy and smiles at the fact news and the press was still a thing in this post-fallout world.

"Thats amazing how the world had carried on, on how much society can rebuild. There is so much to see."

"Yeah which is why it's best that if you want to explore the wastelands, you better learn the basics. You seem to have combat under wraps and with the stuff we got from the raiders, you could get yourself some better equipment."

"Well I am open to new ideas and experiences, mum always said to be that way. I still remember my combat training from army medic training.

Let me guess, trading stuff to get the armour?"

She approaches a stall with clothes on it.

"Oh hey, they sell pre-war clothes here, maybe you can find something to go with that trenchcoat."

He pulls out a small bag from his satchel

"Heres' 200 caps, with the stuff you've got from the raider attack, make the most out of this place. I need to make a quick stop at the Gunsmith's, still got that package I gave you?"

"Oh! Thanks Flynn, and sure," she hands him the box and takes the bag of caps.

She looks at the clothes on offer, ranging from pre-war dresses of silk and cotton, to traded in raider gear robbed from bodies (guess you have to earn caps anyway you can.) The old lady on the stall smiled at Rachel and asked, "anything take your fancy dearie?"

"Yeah, do you have any sets of armour? Something sturdy yet comfortable."

The old lady looks in a box to the side and then presents her with a case of a complete leather armour set, "this is the best armour for both sturdiness and comfortability, this was crafted a week or so ago so this wasn't looted from a raider's body either. Made from fine Brahmin and Radstag hide. Since you're a lovely lil lass, this set is yours today for 125 caps, what do you say?"

"I think thats a really good deal! I'll have it! Also do you have a dress in pure clean white? Something that can be washed?" Rachel says, handing over 125 caps.

The old lady handed over the set and as Rachel popped it on top of her vault jumpsuit, the old lady looked in another box, this time it was older looking. She then pulls out an old white nurses dress, clearly it was pre-war and from the local hospital.

She shows the dress to Rachel and said, "you're the new vault dweller aren't you? One of the guards told me. I take it you're going to become a medic?"

"Yes I am, Rachel Phoenix is the name. I was a pre-war nurse so this outfit is very familiar to me, lots of memories."

"Ah I see now, I am Old Mags, the Dressmaker and clothes and armour dealer. Well… I don't sell these very often, only to nurse settlers and our own nurses… how about 30 caps for the dress?"

"Deal! Thank you very much! Have a good day!"

She hands over the 30 caps and the old lady hands over the dress in a neat bundle.

"You too dearie and good luck with the job."

Flynn meanwhile walks over to the gunsmiths, located a little further down, when he came back he was carrying a minigun, the same one the raider boss had, "so did you get anything good?"

She meets up with him in square of the place and she waves at him. She was in a very sturdy leather armour and had a beautiful white laundered dress over her arm.

"Yeah I got some new leather armour, the set was on offer for 125 caps and this dress I thought would be great for when I am a nurse again. It was 30 caps for the dress."

She gives him back the bag of remaining caps, a huge smile on her face. Flynn refuses a return of the remaining caps and says, "keep the caps. You made a good choice, leather armor should provide a little protection, with the vault armor we found you'll be fine in the wastelands.

I gave the guy his package, forwarded me the payment and I got a few things fixed up, this minigun feels so light when you're in power armor.

Let's head back to my place, it's a little further in."

"Oh thank you! And it looks not bad on me too. Ah good to see that job done. And sweet, that is a fine gun. Sure thing!"

The pair of them head through the trading district and to the home district. She lets him lead up to the apartment and soon enough they arrive to Flynn's home.

Flynn had lead her up to his room, his footsteps echo loudly in the stairwell, when he had found his key he opened the door up, revealing a treasure trove of pre-war nuka cola nostalgia, some parts seemed faded and worn, mostly the apartment, in the corner was a jukebox and a working nuka cola fridge by an old oven.

"It's not much to look at, but it's home."

Flynn turned around immediately as he got inside, ejecting himself from the back of the power armor, finally free, immediately stripping the weapons and satchels and setting them aside. His Laser rifle now sitting on a display wall.

Her eyes widen as she looks around at this man cave of nuka cola stuff and she smiles. She slowly walks in and looks about, remembering when this stuff was new. She then looks at Flynn and for the first time takes in his features fully in the good light. He was quite a handsome guy.

"You kidding me right? I think it's quite impressive."

Flynn picks up the nuka cola bottle he had and put it into the working nuka fridge, pulling out a cold bottle, which had the number 79 on the side of it in the nuka cola font, he opened it up and took a long drink from it.

"Thanks, it's taken me a while to get it like this. If I find any nuka cola merchandise I usually collect it and bring it here."

"It's a good hobby to collect stuff, everything has a story right?"

She walks through the place and smiles at each new thing she noticed. Despite her nuclear surroundings, she was curious like a child at this new world and every little thing, despite looking a serious woman.

Flynn turned on the jukebox tuning into the radio station which was playing rock, the song playing was Atom Bomb, Flynn checked over his weapons and the things which he had scavenged before finding Phoenix in the vault.

"Yeah I guess, but my real hobby is over in the workshop."

"The power armour? It's a labour of love thats for sure, they must have been built very well to survive the fallout. But still machines like people need care and attention."

She looks out of the window at the view and then sits down on the sofa, "yeah, the RobCo workshop is not far. Just across the road. That's where I am usually."

Flynn joined her holding his Nuka Cola bottle as the song changes after a brief bit of talk from the radio hosts, the song changed to something that peaked her interested and even caused her to tap her foot. The song was Rockin' Robin by Bobby day, which was one of Rachel's favourite.

"You have quite a cosy set up here then Flynn! I love it!"


	7. Chapter 7, The Radscorpion of the Metro

Authors Note: THANK YOU FOR OVER 300 VIEWS, 3 FOLLOWS AND MY FIRST FAVOURITE! Both me and my roleplay partner are very proud of how well the community likes our story and we have been planning a few plots for the future of the story hehe.

* * *

As dawn broke on the city of New New York, the streets were quiet and remarkably unbusy for the supposed city that never slept. The only sounds that broke the silence was the birds singing and the Brahmin mooing and walking towards the plaza just outside of the empire state building.

Rachel was already outside, having slept in Flynn's bed while he had slept on the sofa. She was more than happy with the sofa but he had insisted otherwise. She was already geared up in her leather armour and had her pistol by her side. Watching the caravan of brahmin go past the apartments by the steps.

Flynn exited the apartments not long after, he was wearing his red leather nuka cola jacket, out of his power armor, strapped to his back was his laser rifle. His satchel was slung over his right shoulder, sitting under his left arm. His Pip-boy was already displaying the rough location of Wall Street.

"Not taking the Power Armor this time, now I have some back up. Finding the Vault Tec City Headquarters shouldn't be so hard, but finding the hidden past about your vault may uncover some more hidden secrets about New York."

"Oh really? Well this ought to be interesting to see how you are outside of the tin man suit. And I hope so. Lead on good sir," Rachel says as she nods her head, she sets her Pip-Boy the same as his and displays the map.

Flynn began walking down the streets, people beginning to wake up to another day in post-war New York, a lone securitron robot was beeping and clicking as it made its way through the streets on its single wheel.

Flynn gestured to a Metro Station entrance, "we'll take the Metro again. It's a direct route all the way down to Wall Street. I hear that Little Italy may cause us some problems."

Rachel kept up with him, looking around at the awaking city as the sun rose into the sky. When he spoke, she nods in return and says, "sounds like a good idea. And even now that place still causes problems, 200 years on? I can't complain, part Italian myself. What is their problem this time?"

"The mafia, stories of people attacking caravans, taking things which don't belong to them... claiming that a pack of ammunition "accidentally" fell off. They like to keep to themselves though, I wouldn't be surprised if we had to pay a toll to pass through their neck of the Metro."

Flynn pulled the collapsing gate across. A slight breeze coming from the dark tunnels which lay ahead. She helps him pull the gate across and stares down the tunnel the breeze lifted her hair a bit and she heads down there first.

"I should have known, if it helps, they weren't any better back 200 years ago either. Although they never attacked caravans and stole stuff, the Mafia was a huge problem."

Flynn turned on his pip-boy and torch, shining it down the tunnel.

"There were the stories of the gangsters, Vikki and Vance of the old west, the 1920's... The families who continued the family business, racketeering. How people survived to continue tradition is beyond me."

"Italian families and districts are close Flynn, like really close. Polish, Germans, even the Scottish all stick close in these cities. But Italians are most famous for it, and more to the point, they hold grudges for generations."

She says, leading the way down into the metro. They approached another large subway station, once busy and noisy now silent and empty.

Flynn looked down from the walkway above, looking to the dimly lit platform below, "that's maybe three or four generations... survivors of the great war."

"That sounds about right. As I said, we don't let go of grudges."

She gets a bit of flesh from the ghoul yesterday out from her pocket and throws it on the line to test if it was electrified. The flesh flopped down onto the trash, but it didn't spark. Instead something was stirring in the tunnels, followed by a few clicks and hisses.

"You hear that?" Flynn says readying his gun.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she was glad it wasn't working, but she perked up at the clicks and raised her gun, "yep, I hear it."

From out of the tunnels came a large scorpion, intrigued by the presence of food it had woken up to eat, "Radscorpion..."

"Damn sorry..."

She whispers, her gun was aimed at it but she didn't shoot in case it just wanted the food and they could sneak by it. But her aim was slightly unsteady as she quivered at the sight of the large beast,

"New plan... take the other tunnel, we're going to have to go overground in Little Italy," he pointed to the other tunnel, a train was sitting on the tracks further down.

She was staring at how big the radscorpion was but didn't say a word. She nods to show she understood and kept staring at this creature, quivering even more.

Flynn pulled on her arm, "come on, let's go."

Rachel nods again and follows him to the other tunnel, being careful not to make the stinging monster notice them both. She breathes a huge and quiet sigh of relief, he would be able to feel her relaxing and she smiles, keeping her gun up and ready as she kept hold of Flynn's arm.

As they walked down the tunnels, Flynn noticed she was still holding onto him, "you can let go now."

She does so, putting her hands in the air a bit to show she valued his space, slightly embarrassed at how clingy she was at that moment, "was that... a giant... Scorpion?"

Her eye twitches a bit as she spoke, she was actually rather scared of that beast.

"Yes, you know when I said there were mutated creatures out in the wastes. That was one of them, a scorpion which evolved from all of this radiation exposure, mutating it into what we see now.

You're not a bug person?"

She shakes her head, she hated bugs and freaked out if a bee or spider got near her. It didn't help with was allergic is bites and stings and it was a childhood fear.

"No... no I am not. I can handle flies, I can handle anything that doesn't bite or sting you because it's a jammy bastard."

"Well out here the bugs aren't as little or as passive, guns are pretty much the best form of pest control"

They came to the end of the tunnel, entering Madison Street Park Station, he pointed to the walkway above them.

"We need to switch tunnels, watch out for raiders, they could be here. This is one of their little hotspots at the park."

"Thanks for the memo."

She relaxes a bit, checking if her gun was loaded. She looks around as they entered the station, blinking as she looked at where he pointed.

"Now those I can handle."

She smirks as she said it, trying not to seem too much of a wuss for being scared of bugs.


	8. Chapter 8, Raiders and Robots

Someone upstairs was kicking a can about, it rolled down one of the escalators echoing around in the station. A raider had come over to the bridge to look for what was causing the noise.

Flynn was looking around the station, there was a traffic cone poorly placed over a round disc like object on the top of one of the ways up

"Frag mines..." He whispered "Watch your step."

Slowly he began to creep forwards, pulling his laser rifle off his back, pointing it at the raider who was looking over the other side of the walkway. She heard it too and aimed her gun, giving a nod to Flynn to show she had understood. She would wait on his order to open fire in case he had a plan or other ideas.

Flynn fired at the Raider, causing him to fall backwards shouting to the others.

"Shit..." Flynn jumped up onto the platform, a landmine bleeps by his foot, another raider running towards him with a large machette. He sweeps the mine over to the raider with his right foot, the mine detonates and the raider was on the floor yelling in pain. With his left hand he pulled out a small .375 revolver and put a slug of iron into the raider's skull, killing him instantly.

Two more raiders had come onto the bridge to help, each of them wearing spiked leather armor and holding automatic rifles.

"There they are! Get them!"

"Not so fast boys!"

She follows him up on to the platform and takes cover behind an ammo crate, when the two raiders showed up she leaned over and shot the first one in the stomach, causing him to fall over from being winded and cause of pain.

The other had a more... painful experience. She had aimed for the family jewels and all that echoed throughout the tunnel and station was a high pitched scream of pain as the raider went down, his jewels bleeding everywhere.

Flynn put his pistol back into his jacket and rushed up one of the sets of stairs, pointing his laser rifle at the third. All three raiders were crippled in some way,

"Do it! It'll just mean She'll get to killing you faster than we ever could."

"She?"

"Our boss, she'll kill you for what you've done to us! No one messes with the Madison Square Raiders!"

Rachel follows Flynn, she was kinda glad he didn't see the crippled mess of the bullet snipped man. She sees the three raiders and blinks at what one of them said.

"Madison Square Raiders? Who are they? An old crime family?"

"Local thugs, trying to make a name for themselves by attacking travellers who come through the tunnels or the park above ground."

Flynn picked up the men's weapons,"let's keep moving. If we come by this so called Boss I think putting a complaint about the hospitality her employees have given us will be needed."

He began making his way towards the tunnel leading to the other station along the walkway. When she hears the words, local thug, she gives one of them a swift and heavy kick in the stomach, causing him to groan loudly in pain and cough up blood.

"That's the damn least I would do to such low lives. Be thankful!"

She turns her attention to Flynn, it was clear she was rather complex when it came to her personality, swinging between nice and nasty. She takes an old rusty laser rifle from one of the raiders and the ammo to boot.

"Yeah, human resources are shockingly low quality," she agrees and follows him towards the tunnel.

The pair were walking through a long tunnel section which connected two stations together, there were several old posters plastered to the wall, fancy lad snack cakes, Vault-Tec and Nuka Cola, it seemed lived in by the raiders who dwelled here.

Flynn pointed to a door to a security guard's office. Inside were several small pieces of paper which said Metro on them, a terminal was sitting on a desk, still working and the shelves seemed to suggest that something needed maintaining in here.

Flynn sat down on the desk chair and spun round a little, stopping when he saw a protectron inside a recharge station.

Rachel looks at the posters as she went by them, remembering them when they were new and fresh. When the pair of them entered the office, she noticed that it was still in use. Including the terminal, she looked at it and said.

"Can you hack it? Wait what are you..."

She looks around to the Protectron and blinks, giving a smile.

"Oh God they still work?"

"You bet."

Flynn began entering in several commands into the terminals, pulling up a debug mode which listed several lines of jumbled text and words.

"This protectron will help us get through the rest of the raiders."

Flynn's eyes flicked from left to right as he selected his first word, checking for a match to the correct password.

She watches him curiously, she had never seen a hacker at work before. To her the text looked jumbled and messy, maybe it looked different to him or at least something he could read and figure out where she couldn't.

She even watched his rapid eye movements as he scanned the page. His eyes were actually quite... handsome to say the least. She blinks and gives a head a quick shake to stop thinking that.

"If you manage to hack that, I am buying a beer for you. And I hope so, I remember those things before the war, they were actually quite nice."

She wondered if he had caught her looking at his eyes, but that thought was shut up by the protectron flaring to life.

Flynn looked over to her once when hacking the terminal, when he found the correct password the terminal displays a list of commands. With a single press of a button, the protectron came to life, the door on its recharge chamber opened up.

"Looks like beer's on you tonight."

The protectron clicked and whirred into life, it was painted blue and had the word Security written on the front of it.

" _ **Engaging Secondary Programmed Protocols**_."

The protectron began to walk forwards clunkily, " _ **Error Cannot Connect to Metro Mainframe"**_

Flynn stood up, slowly walking behind it, picking up the two tickets.

" _ **Metro Ticket Inspection Routine Initiated. Please present your tickets"**_

The protectron turned to Flynn, its processing unit visible through a glass cover. He held the tickets up to the Protectron, which whirred and clicked as it identified the tickets

" _ **Thank You Have a nice Day! Please mind your step when boarding."**_

With that the Protectron began moving towards the exit

She frowns at his comment and mutters something about bullshit. She walks up to the robot to examine it, she did love robots and found them very interesting to watch and study when it came to how they worked, despite being more biologically minded.

She let Flynn deal with the robot with a calm air of confidence, clearly showing he had dealt with these robots before. When everything was done and dusted and the protectron headed for the exit, she looked at him and said.

"You clever bastard."

Flynn laughs at her comment and retorted, "robotics is something I excel in, come on, let's go follow it."

The protectron was walking towards the station, requesting tickets to be presented. She couldn't help but laugh with him as she followed. Keeping close and her gun at the ready for trouble.


End file.
